Ibsen’s The Doll’s House June 8, 2009
Posted by CamdenKiwi in : Reviews , trackbackThis isn’t a review, just a few notes. Isn’t that what blogging is supposed tobe?
I was rapt to get tickets to the Donmar’s production of Ibsen’s The Dolls House. With Gillian Anderson starring, its been a sellout for weeks. The view was much better than expected from right up the top, by the side (C44). A bargain at £15, even if I saw Christopher Ecclestone’s back a lot more than his face.
So much of this rings true now, and even the final scene, when Nora leaves her husband (sorry for spoiler, but it is a classic) still packs a tremendous punch. What must it have been like in the late 19th century? Even by today’s standards, Nora is a strong, determined character, and how many of us hang on with arrogant men who think they have property rights?
What’s Christine doing taking back her long-rejected lover, even though he’s a scoundrel and a loser? Compassion for a drowning man? Undoing a deeply regretted decision? Or still just surviving?
This is a very unusual play. I can’t remember the last time I saw a woman in the theatre leave her husband, not for another man, but for herself. Women do it all the time, but its not a story often told. How far have we come in 100 years?
Certainly the theme of debt as a destroyer of homes and peace of mind is a very current one, as is the political intrigue. And secrets, secrets are poison.
Gillian Anderson is well worth the sellout – she’s excellent. And stunningly beautiful. Its a star-studded cast, with Toby Stephens as Thomas, the husband.
They’ve set it in 1909 in London, rather than 1870s Norway, and its a new translation. I’ve not seen it before, so no comparison. It works well in that setting.
Well worth seeing if you get the chance. It plays at the Donmar until 18 July, and there are day seats and standing tickets available.
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